


the most beautiful eyes

by tevna



Series: "you're my investment" [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hale-McCall Pack, Pack Feels, The Hale Family, just a bunch of oneshots glued together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 09:11:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8973682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tevna/pseuds/tevna
Summary: Adventures in raising Hale children.





	

Braeden held a sleeping Ben’s head on her shoulder and looked out of the window, the TV drowning out her thoughts. She sighed, watching the rain outside and counting down the seconds until Derek said he would be home. Turning back to the kitchen, Braeden looked into the pots from last night to salvage what was left: less than 3 spoons of her Mom’s brown rice and Derek’s 5-star, 5-cheese, macaroni. Ben nuzzled at her neck and made a soft and impatient cry and Braeden shushed him.

Derek came home from talking with Scott at his new place to find Braeden on the couch with Ben splayed out on her lap, in the middle of eating her rice and macaroni. On the table, her laptop was open and researching details for Sheriff regarding a Bonnie and Clyde pair of potential wendigos (maybe-- her clients were unsure).

Derek and Braeden had been in meetings all day earlier that week, they had went from meeting Scott to talk to him about college decisions to meeting with Deputy Stilinski about a suspicious string of murders the next county over that Braeden had been researching before the baby to meeting Melissa and Deaton for Ben’s check-up. Afterwards, they’d taken the 15 minute drive back to their house. She’d convinced Derek to move closer to Beacon Hills after finding out about the baby, just on the simple fact that Deaton, the only supernaturally conscious medical professional that she trusted to give birth to her baby, was closer that way. The man had promised Ben’s grandmother to always look out for his father, there was no way anything was going to happen to Ben on Deaton’s watch.

“Hey,” Braeden smiled at him when he walked. “How’s Scott?

“Madly in love and optimistic.” Derek shook his head, heading to the kitchen to look in the fridge and maybe down his last beer (couldn’t get drunk, but he liked how it tasted--which was odd). “I offered him an apartment in the building again but he turned it down, of course said he had to think about it. Talk about it with Kira.”

“Of course. How is Kira?”

“She’s taking the fox transitioning stuff pretty hard, actually. She’s not about to go on a murder spree anytime soon but it’s like sometimes she has to zone out and focus on not becoming homicidal, you know?” Derek re entered the living room space, a beer for him, grapefruit juice for Brae and a bottle for Ben. He placed a cup of grapefruit juice in her hands, as she placed her legs in his lap while he settled on the couch. Derek reached over and grabbed Ben from her, placing the boy on his chest. ”She’s definitely getting the hang of it, but enough of that. How was your day?”

Braeden smiled as she watched Derek lift Ben over his head. Ben cooed immediately and screeched with joy at the sight of his father, grabbing at Derek’s face. The fact that Ben was almost 2 years old was boggling her mind.

She remembered giving birth to Ben like it was yesterday.

* * *

 

“She’s been kicking so hard.” she shook her head and took a large spoonful of her Oreo milkshake. “I told Deaton in our appointment that I feel like her kicks have to be stronger since she’s gonna be a werewolf. And I ate 3 burgers like cooked almost rare today because she has just been craving meat and blood.”

“Why are you so convinced it’s a girl--you never know.” Derek laughed at her, placing his large hand on her stomach. /.

“Well, you’re the one who told me that Hale firstborns are girls. And also, everyone seems convinced that it’s not. You know I love to be devil’s advocate.” Braeden smiled at him, placing her hands over his on her stomach. The baby’s feet fluttered around their hands as if it knew.

They stayed up for a little bit, watching terrible TV as Braeden continued to eat. Derek after a while of cartoons, forced them both to go to bed since they had things to do in the morning.

Sometime after 2 AM, Braeden woke up feeling wet and sticky between her legs. For a second, she thought she peed herself but after a minute she felt a pain in her lower abdomen. Caught off guard, Braeden let out a yelp. Derek woke up instantly.

“Derek...ow fuck...alright, it’s time!” she yelled out as the contraction ended. It felt worse than she remembered Deaton and Melissa describing.

Derek nodded at her, focused. He pulled pants on and grabbed her overnight bag. He called Deaton while helping her up and walking her to his car.

Benjamin Michael Hale was born in the dead of night in the middle of September, about 3 weeks early. He was 8 pounds, 3 ounces.  

Braeden was fucking tired. She was sweaty and it hurt and she swore to God that Ben was trying to break her hips. Melissa and Dr. Dunbar had gotten them a private room in the hospital and allowed Deaton to sneak in and perform the birth, just in case things went supernaturally awry. This wasn’t the first time a human and a wolf have ever produced a child, it was just that this was a Hale baby and they were taking no chances.

  
He was the most beautiful baby she’d ever seen. He had this beautiful full head of curly black hair, had a beautiful round face and belly, and these gorgeous hazel brown eyes. Deaton placed him in her arms and Braeden immediately pressed a kiss to his tiny forehead. The amount of love rushing in all at once as he opened his eyes to look at her was overwhelming. She looked at Derek and she almost couldn’t stand it.

  
He almost looked afraid to touch them as he stood there, paralyzed by love. Derek watched his Braeden and his son smile at each other and he tried to keep this moment in his head forever. He stepped forward tentatively, and placed his finger out for his son to grab.

Melissa peered over at them, smiled and asked them what they wanted to name him.

They’d talked about this of course. Braeden’s father’s name was Benjamin, Derek’s father’s name was Michael and her mother’s name was Michelle. It was an easy decision. But saying the name--Benjamin Michael Hale...made it all so real. They had made a baby. They brought life into this world, wasn’t that fucking mindblowing? They had made a family.

* * *

 Braeden smiled at her boys as Derek sat Ben up on his legs, letting him jump excitedly on his unsteady feet. When they first began trying to teach him to walk, Ben was such attention hog that Braeden still believes that he was pretending to not know how to walk by the end of it, just so she would have to pick him up. Jumping was a different story. Ben loved jumping. He consistently would demand for a “1-2-3” countdown for his jumps, relishing in his parents reactions with a slight cackle.

“He just ate, he’s gonna spit up on you.” Braeden threatened idly, trying to hide her smile.

“I couldn’t stop him if I wanted to.” Derek gave a smile of his own at Ben as he bounced, repeating “da-da-da-da” over and over.

Braeden grunted in agreement, reaching over to wipe the drool forming from Ben’s mouth. Ben gave her a grin, exposing his 3 teeth. Braeden grinned back at him, poking at his stomach to tickle him.

“He’s so happy today.” Braeden noted. “I should take a picture for Cora, she’s been asking.”  
Derek stilled the boy in order for her to do so, and when the camera flash went off is when they both noticed it.

Ben’s eyes.

They’d changed from hazel brown to yellow. Braeden gasped, dropping the phone and whipping around to look at Derek’s eyes...they were glowing back at their son, bright blue.

“Oh my God.” she whispered as they had their moment. All she could do was watch her bright and bouncing baby boy’s eyes glow for his father. Once his eyes started to settle back to brown, Ben promptly spit up. Braeden placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder as he sat there stunned.

+

“We always knew it was a possibility.” Braeden said to the mirror version of Derek as she begun the process of wrapping her hair for the night. She and Derek had put Ben down for bed in the other room (the boy slept like a rock, which they were eternally grateful for, but it took him an hour to get knocked out which they were not so grateful for).

Derek sighed. “Yes, but...I don’t know. He’s...he’s a baby. I could barely raise teenage  
betas...how do I teach a 2 year old to control his shifts or to find his anchor?”

“I’m sure Ben won’t be needing any of that just yet, Derek.” Braeden said, rolling her scarf around her head.

Derek shook his head, tossing the silk pillows on her side of the bed. “I’m going to take him to Deaton first thing tomorrow morning before my meeting with Sheriff and I’ll get his opinion. And then I’ll try and call Argent and get his opinion.”

“Maybe try to call Satomi too.” Braeden said. “And then Scott. He’d be thrilled.”

“Maybe I should take an ad in the papers; bad news, Beacon Hills, our son’s a werewolf.” Derek joked.

“Derek, this isn’t bad news.” Braeden turned to the real him instead of mirror him. He looked down, not meeting her gaze. “Why are you treating it like it is?”

“Braeden...we don’t have to talk about this...I just…” his voice broke before he could finish the sentence. Braeden’s eyes widened as she watched Derek’s eyes well up with tears. He tried to will them away but it was pointless.

“Derek…” Braeden left her seat in front of the mirror and went to his side. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m just…” Derek shook his head. “I’m overwhelmed is all. I’m feeling a lot of things at once, and you know I hate that.”

“I know…” she rubbed his back. “I just don’t want you to look at our son differently. He’s still our little Benji. You’re still da-da and I’m still momma and he’s still Ben...nothing’s changed, Derek. Except that his eyes now glow. He’s just...more of a part of you that you just have never seen before. A part that I love.”

He placed a hand over hers.

“I wish my mom were here is all.” Derek sniffed. “She raised us...she knows how born wolves work. I’ve only ever had betas. And they haven’t worked out so well.”

“I know...but you’re not raising our son alone, Derek. I am a human, I don’t know any of this shit. Compared to me or anyone else in this town with supernatural kids--you’re already ahead of us. And hey, you’re forgetting that you’re not his alpha!” Braeden pointed out. “Technically, this whole omega beta thing is all Scott’s gig. And if we can spin it to add diaper duty and potty training on his list of Alpha duties, I bet our very own True Alpha would save us a lot of time.”

He cracked a grin at that one, which made her feel better. She sat next to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. And they sat there, silent. Thinking. Reminiscing.  
Braeden placed a kiss on his cheek, let him go, and told him she was going to head for bed. Derek turned off his lamp for her and the room got dark. He looked at his girlfriend, watching her chest rise and fall for a minute or two, grateful. Then he went into Ben’s room.

The boy’s curly mop of a head laid out on the pillow--his hair grew ridiculously fast, he would need a haircut soon. He slept carelessly, arms sprawled open and out. His nose made a faint whistling sound. Derek couldn’t believe again all that was in that small package of a body. What he and Braeden made.

Derek thought about the times his mother taught him how to control his urges to shift with the triskele. He was about 5, but his Cora and Laura were taught to control their shifts when they were 7 or 8. Girls can handle it for much longer apparently, he had to remember that. He remembered his father’s stern and steady looks when full moons approached and he stared him down while he howled, aching to be free. He remembered the triskele. He remembered finally getting it, finally understanding...and how long that took him and Cora and Laura. And how long it might take Ben. But he was okay with that. Derek bent down to place a kiss on his son’s head, breathing in his reassuring scent.

He was lucky, he supposed.

+

Malia grinned from ear to ear when they told her. She reached for Ben and placed him on her hip excitedly. They’d taken Ben into Beacon Hills for a playdate with Deputy Clark’s daughter, and apparently everyone was over to visit after not seeing each other for a little bit in college so they decided to let everyone know. Ben giggled and poked at Malia’s nose as she tickled his stomach.  
“That’s so cool.” Liam shook his head. “I mean, I’m pretty new to this stuff so born wolves all just seem cool. Not that it’s weird...just cool.”

“Well as his possible future alpha, you might want to get on that.” Derek teased and slapped him on the back, watching Liam’s face drain of blood at the thought of replacing Scott.

“Did you think he wasn’t going to be a werewolf?” Hayden asked them curiously. Braeden and Derek looked at each other and shrugged. They did and they didn’t at the same time.

“He’s a Hale, of course he was going to be a werewolf.” Malia smiled at Ben, who placed his head on her neck. “Scott’s going to be so happy--I’m going to text him to hurry up so he can get the good news.”

* * *

 A year goes by and Ben was turning 3 years old and thriving. At this point, Ben’s eyes were the only thing wolfy about him. It was hard to control at first because Ben’s eyes would start to glow at random times--like in the grocery store or getting gas. Braeden had learned to keep extra sunglasses in her pocket to make sure no one suspected anything. All Derek had to do was flash his eyes back at Ben and he’d put the yellow eyes away. But an incident like that hadn’t happened in the past couple months.

Ben definitely started to heal. One day on the playground at his daycare, Ben fell off of the swing pretty hard--an action that would have warranted a terrible meltdown from any of his peers. But as Ben’s teacher described it, Ben fell, she rushed over to help, there was a gash on his knee but he remained silent--no tears or anything. And by the time she walked Ben back inside to get a bandage, the wound was closed up. And by the time Derek picked Ben up from school, there was only a cut. It was hard to explain his way out of that one, but he did...except he’s convinced that Mrs. Turner did not believe him every time he goes to pick up Ben.

School pictures were hard to explain.

“I like my glowy eyes.” Ben kept repeating to his father as he tried to teach Ben how not to let his eyes show in pictures. “No!”

“Ben--it’s not your eyes, it’s just…” Derek sighed. This was so hard to explain to a 3 year old. Ben was not budging. Braeden laughed from the kitchen as she watched Derek tie Ben’s shoe, and got an idea of her own. Her protruding stomach, pregnant with her second Hale spawn, made it hard for her to get out of her chair but she bounded over to the living room as soon as she could.

Braeden bent down to help Derek tie the other shoe. “Benji. How about this...whenever you see the camera flash, make sure you close your eyes okay? Or the flash will steal your glowy eyes.”

Ben’s eyes widened. “No way.”

“Yes way.” Braeden nodded, mock-serious as she tightened his laces. Derek had to look down and focus on the shoes to keep from laughing. “Make sure you close your eyes tight when you say cheese, okay?”

Ben nodded, too scared to say anything. Derek and Braeden stood up and watched him hop off the couch.

“Good boy. Now, go grab your coat from your room so we can go to school, okay?”

Derek turned to her and let out a laugh as Ben scurried off, jumping the whole way. “That was cruel, Braeden.”

“Oh come on.” she grinned. “One, it was kinda funny. Two, he gets his stubbornness from me so I know how he works. And three, you’re welcome.”

“Yes, thank you for lying to our son.” Derek placed his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. His lips found hers momentarily and she smiled.  
“Ew!” Ben shrieked, giggling from his place in the corner of the room.

“Oh, come here, you!” Braeden turned from Derek to grab at Ben and press wet kisses on her son's face.

* * *

 When Ben was 5, they developed a new problem. 

Ben wanted to play soccer, which broke his uncle's’ heart since lacrosse was their sport of choice. They had been pretty busy, with Braeden starting to go on missions again and Derek starting to work more and more down at the station and they let Malia and Cora move in (Malia as she tries to find a job post-college, Cora because she got in some inexplicable deep trouble with a South American pack of wolves--who apparently had a witch as their emissary) and their daughter, Alice Talia Hale, eyes also glowed yellow at Malia the other day.

So now were they raising 2 werewolves.

Alice was almost just like Ben. Alice was born in the middle of the night the night after Halloween. They’d named her Alice in honor of Allison, with the Talia paying homage to Derek’s mother. Alice was an easy baby but she was smart. She knew exactly how to wrap Derek around her finger. She could play alone for hours, which was a relief. Ben constantly needed attention, especially since he had a new baby sister. So maybe playing soccer would be good for him. It would help him take out aggression...they hoped.

“Ben.” Braeden snapped at him from the kitchen while he watched cartoons. She had been braiding a fussy Alice’s hair and was not in the mood. “If you want to play soccer, you have to get dressed on time for the practices. We’re gonna have to go any minute.”

“Let me finish this one episode, Mom!” he yelled back at her. Braeden raised her eyebrow.

“Benjamin Michael Hale, if you don’t get your--”

Cora took that as her cue to turn on fun-aunt mode and get Ben dressed.

“Hey, she’s right, little man.” Cora picked him up and tossed him over her shoulder to his glee. “If you wanna have the fun, you have to do the work!”

Braeden rolled her eyes at Ben’s retreating form as she watched Alice suckle on her bottle intently with such laser focus.

“Honey, I’m home.” Malia said as she and Derek entered the backdoor.

“That’s my line.” Derek mumbled, pressing a kiss on Braeden’s forehead and a kiss on Alice’s forehead. The presence of her father and cousin did not break Alice’s concentration. “How are my girls?”

“The boy is getting on my nerves.” Braeden groaned. “Cora’s getting him ready for soccer practice.”

“I’ll go help her.” Derek sighed. Malia picked up Alice, who kept pointing at her own head.

“What’d Ben do now?”  
  
“Nothing new. Well...he keeps calling me Mom.”  
  
“Well you are his mother.” Malia snorted. “Unless you have something you wanna tell us.”

“Nope, can’t fake these stretch marks.” Braeden shook her head. “But what I mean is...he stopped calling me Momma. I’m not even getting a Mommy anymore. It’s just Mom. Do you remember when you stopped calling your mom Mommy?”

Malia tilted her head to look at Braeden, who realized her mistake.

“Forgot you grew up a coyote, my bad.” Braeden sighed. “I’m just confused.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Malia laughed. “If you need a break from him, Cora and I can take him to practice. You and Derek need some time alone. We’ll take Alice too. We’ll go on full cousin and auntie duty for the day. Let you both relax.”

Braeden shook her head. “No, Malia, you don’t have to do that for us. We can handle it.”

“No, we want to.” Cora’s voice rang out a second later as she, Derek, and Ben appeared in the kitchen. “We really did talk about it last night. You and Derek have been working so hard on my Venezuelan pack thing, with your other missions, with the Sheriff and Argent and Deaton, and being parents to unruly werewolf kids. You need a break.”

“That’s nice, Cora but--”

“We’re not taking no for an answer.” Malia resolved. “Give me Alice’s baby bag. Ben, get your cleats--we’re going. Say bye to Mommy and Daddy, Alice.”  
That left them very little room to argue.

+

“I needed this.” Braeden sighed, breathing deeply in her afterglow. She and Derek hadn’t had sex in weeks, which had been starting to feel like torture. With everyone gone, it seemed only right for them to do it over...and over...and over…

Derek grinned, reassured that he had the perfect partner in crime.

“I didn’t even notice how tired I was until today.” Braeden rubbed her eyes, turning over to rest her head on Derek’s chest. “Thank God for Malia and Cora.”

“Yeah but I miss them though.” Derek checked his watch. Ben’s practice was halfway done. “Ali would be up to watch her favorite TV show right about now.”

“The one with the red duck?”

“And she’d be so invested in it that I would forget it was even on.” Derek chuckled.

“And Tyler’s mom would probably drop Ben off an hour later and she wouldn’t even care as long as that duck is on screen.” Braeden laughed.

They let the silence sweep over them happily. She loved her life. As hard as it seemed to juggle all these different hats of mercenary and mom and emissary...she couldn’t imagine her life without it.

Around 3 hours later, the door jostled open. Alice greeted them with babbling and bouncing in Derek’s arms, Ben greeted them with a curious quiet. Braeden blinked, wondering where her hurricane of a son went. Cora and Malia glanced down at him sternly, crossing their arms in unison.

“Tell them, Ben.” Malia urged.

“Okay!” Ben looked down at his shoes sheepishly. “I forgot...I forgot to control myself at practice today...I...ran too fast.”

“And?”

“And I kicked a hole in the goal with the ball.”

“And?”

“And my claws came out accidentally.”

“Ben!” Derek said, exasperated. “You promised if we let you do--”

“But no one saw but Malia and Auntie Cora!”

“But that’s not the point, Ben. It’s the principle. No showing off, that was the deal.”

“I know! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it! Please please please let me keep doing soccer!” Ben’s lip quivered and his eyes were about to well up with tears. He actually was sorry. Derek and Braeden exchanged a glance.  
  
“We’ll think about it.” Braeden surmised. “Go to your room and change, it’s almost time for dinner.”

“I hate this! I hate being a monster!” Derek flinched at that word as Ben shoved passed them and ran to his room.

“Don’t you dare slam that door!” Braeden yelled. “Close it.”

A gentle click was all she got in response.

“We’re sorry.” Malia shook her head.

“No one saw it.” Cora offered. “We stopped him just in time.”

“It’s okay, he was probably just showing off.” Derek said, looking at Braeden. “I should probably talk to him.”

"I'm gonna go order dinner." Braeden said quietly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

Derek knocked on Ben’s door out of courtesy before opening it. There was Ben, face-first on his bed. He hadn’t even bothered to take his uniform off. Derek instantly knew he was crying.

  
“Ben.” Derek said. “It’s okay. We’re not mad at you. Let’s talk about this.”

Ben sat up instantly, but didn’t turn to face him. He watched his son wipe at his face before he sat down next to him on the bed.

"It's not fair." he huffed. "I didn't mean to."

“I know how you feel right now. I understand. It’s hard to control your urges between what you want and what the wolf wants.” Derek said, turning Ben’s head to face him. “And I am proud of you for working as hard as you do to control it. We all are But just because something is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t your responsibility. Me and Momma, we do a lot of things everyday that we think is hard. But we do it because we have to. ”

Ben sniffled.

  
“And you’re a lot of things. But you're not a monster, Ben.” Derek said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. “Don’t ever say that again. No matter what you do. No matter what happens. No matter how many times your claws come out, or how many times I see you showing off for Aunt Cora and Malia, okay? You, me, your sister, your aunt Cora, Scott, Malia...will never be monsters.”

They sat in silence for a second.

“I’m sorry.” Ben said.

“It’s okay.” Derek pulled his son into a hug. “Maybe soccer’s not your thing. Maybe you should try a more one-on-one thing...how about tennis or chess or something else like that?”

They went out to the kitchen after Derek helped Ben change into his everyday clothes. Cora and Malia were helping Braeden arrange the pizza they just ordered on the table while Alice banged on her high chair with her spoon. Cora and Malia squabbled over who got the first slice of the Meat Lover’s pizza while Braeden jokingly threatened to bring out the mistletoe she has hidden in her room if they didn’t stop. Ben ran up to hug his mother’s legs and apologize to her. She gave Derek a knowing smile before placing wet kisses over her son’s face.

And this was family for him.

This was home.


End file.
